Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - Revolutionary War Veteran Thomas King


Thomas King
Born 17 Mar 1754 in Pennsylvania
Married Susan Ann Sharp
Veteran of the Revolutionary War
Died 18 June 1847
Buried in New Bethel Presbyterian Cemetery
in Piney Flats, Sullivan Co., TN
 - - -

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Advent Calendar - December 8 - Old World Kipfels

Our Christmas Kipfel cookies:  http://tr.im/GzAr
Link posted for the Dec. 8th Advent Calender topic: 
Christmas Cookies!
Yum!

Tombstone Tuesday - A Reminder to Us All

The USS Arizona is the final resting place for many of the ship's 1,177 crewmen who lost their lives on December 7, 1941.



The Memorial structure spans the mid-portion of this sunken battleship. The United States flag flies from a flagpole which is attached to the severed mainmast of the sunken battleship.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Surname Saturday - Kolbusz of Galicia, Poland

On this snowy, Surname Saturday morning I will highlight our Kolbusz / Kolbush ancestry.  Kolbush is not a very common surname and  has proven a difficult line to research. Our ancestors immigrated from Szufnarowa, Galicia, originally part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then after WW1 it became part of Poland. 


I.  Jacob1 Kolbus married Hedvige Jajek (or Sajek) in Austria (Poland). 
A.  George Ignatz2 Kolbush was also known as Wojcieck Kolbusz and Adalbert  Kolbus (spelled with 2 dots over the 's').  He was born circa 1854 or 1860 in Austria / Poland and resided in Galicia.  He immigrated in 1888 and resided in 1893 at Jamesburg, New Jersey. He married Pauline Gobur, daughter of Peter Gobura and Ann F(a)rdda, on 6 Feb 1893 at St. Stephen's church, Perth Amboy, New Jersey.  He and Pauline Gobur resided in Jun 1900 at Helmetta, Middlesex, New Jersey.  He worked at the Snuff Mill in Jun 1900.  He and Pauline Gobur resided in May 1910 in Monroe Township, Middlesex, New Jersey.  He died on 7 Mar 1936 and was buried on 10 Mar 1936 at St. James Cemetery, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey.

George Ignatz Kolbush c.1930

1.  Andrew3 Kolbush was born on 24 Nov 1893 at Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey.  He married Rosa M. and had four children.  Andrew died on 19 Nov 1974 at Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey, at age 80.

2.  Katherine3 Kolbush  was born on 19 Oct 1897 at New Jersey. She married Stanley Krukowski circa 1918 at New Jersey.  She and Stanley Krukowski resided in Feb 1920 at With George & Pauline Kolbush, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey. They had 3 children.  She died on 29 Jan 1985 at South River, New Jersey, at age 87.

3.  Joseph3 Kolbush was also known as Joe Colbush  was born on 11 Feb 1901 at New Jersey.  He died without issue on 16 Nov 1963 at New Jersey at age 62.  He was buried on 21 Nov 1963 at Beverly National Cemetery, 916 Bridgeboro Rd, Beverly, New Jersey.

4.  Alexander3 Kolbush was born on 14 Jul 1905 at Helmetta, Middlesex, New Jersey, and was baptized on 15 Jul 1905 at St. James Church, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey.  He married Katherine Kollain, daughter of Ignatz John Kollain and Maria Bergner, on 24 Jun 1928 at St.James Parish Church, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey. They had 5 children.  Alexander died on 6 Jun 1972  at age 66.  He was buried on 8 Jun 1972 at St. James Cemetery, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey.

B.  Gregory2 Kolbusz was also known as Grsegore Kolbusz.  He was born in 1864 at Austria/Poland.  He married Gertrude Victoria Gobur, daughter of Peter Gobura and Ann F(a)rdda.  He first immigrated on 28 Apr 1897 on the ship: Southwark -  Antwerp to Port of New York.  He and Gertrude Victoria Gobur are from  Szufnarowa, Galicia, Poland.  They immigrated together on 26 Jun 1900 to Elllis Island, New York.  He and Gertrude Victoria Gobur resided in 1912 at Main St.; Ward 1, South Amboy, Middlesex, New Jersey.  Gregory died on 12 Mar 1938 at New Jersey.  He was buried on 14 Mar 1938 at St. James Cemetery, Jamesburg, Middlesex, New Jersey.

1.  Maryanna3 Kolbusz was born in 1889.  She immigrated from Szufnarowa, Galicia, Poland, with her parents on 26 Jun 1900 to Elllis Island, New York.  She resided in Apr 1910 at Manhattan, New York, New York.

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Christmas Kipfels

This family recipe comes from my maternal G-Grandmother Maria Rauner Stosz and her daughters Theresa Stosz Hack (left) & Anna Stosz Bauman (right) of Segenthau, Austria-Hungary (now Romania). G-Grandmom Kollain from my paternal side of the family also made these and called them Horns.  These are made every year at Christmas - no exceptions!

Mix 8 oz of cream cheese, 1/2 lb of softened butter, 1 Tblesp sugar, and 1 egg yolk until combined. Add 2 cups of flour 1 cup at a time and mix and kneed well. Divide dough into two pancake-like patties, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Roll out dough to 1/8-1/4 inch on a surface that has been dusted lightly with flour. Cut into 2-inch squares. Place 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of strawberry or apricot preserves on center of each square. Overlap 2 opposite corners of dough to the center over filling and pinch ends together then give it a tweek to shape the cookie into a slight crescent. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove to wire cooling rack and dust with powdered sugar.
I never have to worry about storing them as they are always eaten within the hour!

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

The Confederate White House

The White House of the Confederacy

Located in Richmond, Virginia, the gray-stuccoed mansion built in1818 was home to a succession of wealthy families throughout the antebellum period.  This building has earned a unique stature in American history for its role as the Executive Mansion of the Confederate States of America from 1861 to 1865. The official residence of President Jefferson Davis, his wife Varina and their children, the house was the social, political and military center of the Confederacy. The home has been meticulously restored and is open for guided tours daily.     The Museum of the Confederacy



Monday, November 30, 2009

Orphaned by Another Means



Great Grandmother Maria was born 12 Jan 1869 in Budapest, Hungary. Oral family history has it that her mother died when she was still young.  Maria was the youngest of several children and her father, not being able to handle all the extra responsibilities, gave her to a Jewish family to be raised as a servant. 
She married Ignatz J. Kollain and they immigrated to the U.S. in 1909. They were residing in NYC in 1912; then moved to Jamesburg, NJ, prior to 1920. Maria Kollain died 12 Oct. 1957 in Jamesburg, Middlesex, NJ. Because of her past, researching Maria has been very frustrating. Her parents were listed as 'unknown' on her death cert. We gleened the date and place of Maria's birth from her husband, Ignatz's naturalization papers. Interestingly her older children cited her maiden name as Bergner while the younger children cited Pergel on their documents.

Sunday, November 29, 2009

Good things come in Sevens



Thank you to Tonia's Roots for bestowing the Kreativ Blogger Award upon Tangled Trees.

Recipients are asked, in return, to share this award with 7 special genealogy blogs.
I wish to recognize:
 Al's Polish-American Genealogy Research
Ancestor Tracking
Ask Olive Tree Genealogy
Genealogy's Star
A Canadian Family
Acadianroots
and, finally,
Mustaches of the Nineteenth Century which always makes me smile.

Recipients are also asked to share 7 bits about themselves....
This is the harder part of the two requirements as I enjoy following more than the 7 blogs listed above and would like to recognize them all  (that counts as 1!).
I have been researching our genealogy for over 20yrs. 
My spouse & I are both from Southern California - as you might have guessed from previous posts.
We now reside in Northern VA.
I am a member of the Fairfax Genealogical Society - an outstanding organization comprised of wonderful people.
Teenagers have made me prematurely gray - I now resort to enhancing my hair ;-)
My other hobby is sailing.   hhmmm...research or sailing???  The answer all depends on the weather.

Thank You to all who take the time in their busy days to read Tangled Trees.

Friday, November 27, 2009

A "Black Friday" Special Worth Sharing


 Footnote.com is having a Black Friday 50% Off Special.
One year of full access for $39.95.
That's one of the best deals I've seen in awhile.
Shop til you drop.
Have a safe Thanksgiving Weekend.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Nearly Wordless Wednesday - Winthrop Fleet Puritan Ancestors

Our ancestors, Thomas French and Susan (Riddlesdale) French of Assington, Suffolk, England, arrived in New England with their children as passengers on the Winthrop Fleet in 1630 and settled in Ipswich, Massachusetts.


The Winthrop Fleet was a group of eleven sailing ships under the leadership of John Winthrop that carried approximately 700 Puritans plus livestock and provisions from England to New England over the summer of 1630.
View Passenger List
Visit:  The Winthrop Society Website
 - - -

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - Daniel Boone Controversy


The Frankfort, Kentucky, Gravesite of Daniel Boone

Daniel Boone (b. 2 Nov 1734, Berks Co., PA) died on September 26, 1820, in Femme Osage Creek, Missouri.  He was buried next to his wife, Rebecca Bryan, who had died on March 18, 1813. The graves, located on Tuque Creek near Marthasville, in Warren County, Missouri, were unmarked until the mid-1830's. In 1845, the Boones' remains were disinterred and reburied in a new cemetery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

Resentment in Missouri about the disinterment grew over the years, and a legend arose that Boone's remains never left Missouri. According to this story, Boone's tombstone in Missouri had been inadvertently placed over the wrong grave, but no one had corrected the error. Boone's Missouri relatives, displeased with the Kentuckians who came to exhume Boone, kept quiet about the mistake and allowed the Kentuckians to dig up the wrong remains.
Although there is no evidence to support this claim, both the Frankfort Cemetery in Kentucky and the Old Bryan Farm graveyard in Missouri claim to have Boone's remains.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Googling an ancestor leads to Black Sheep Sunday

In "Googling" an ancestor I found Stock Troubles for Jesse Hiter Crouch, b. Oct 1808, son of Jesse Crouch and Mary Nance:

A lawsuit was brought by the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Co. in 1853 against Jesse H. Crouch.  Railroad officials claimed that Crouch continued to owe money on capitol stock purchased in 1849 through Brookins Campbell. The deposition of Samuel B. Cunningham notes that the original records of the stock purchase were destroyed in a fire at the home of Campbell, who, by the time of the trial, had passed away. An appeal bond from 1855 shows that Crouch has been ordered to pay the railroad $850.


The East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Records, 1852-1871, document the company which developed the railroad connection between Knoxville and Virginia. Eight of the 16 items, found in Series I, deal with a lawsuit brought about by the railroad in 1853 against Jesse H. Crouch of Washington County, TN.

Series I: Records in the case of the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad vs. Jesse Crouch, 1853-1856

Folder   1         Item   1        
Subpoena to Samuel Cunningham to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1853 June 1

Folder   1         Item   2        
Subpoena to William G. Gammon, Treasurer of the Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1853 June 1

Folder   1         Item   3        
Subpoena to Brookins Campbell, agent of the railroad, to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1853 September 23

Folder   1         Item   4        
Subpoena to John B. Hamilton, Sheriff of Sullivan County, TN, to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1854 October 22

Folder   1         Item   5        
Deposition of Samuel Cunningham, President of the Tennessee and Virginia Railroad, in Washington County, TN, 1855 January 9

Folder   1         Item   6        
Subpoena to "Dr. Broyles on the Chucky" to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1855 February 14

Folder   1         Item   7        
Appeal Bond of Jesse Crouch, stating that Crouch agrees to pay the railroad $850, in Washington County, 1855 October 26

Folder   1         Item   8        
Subpoena to Jesse Crouch to appear in circuit court in Washington County, TN, 1856 June 19


Source: East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad Records, 1852-1871; MS-2211;
University of Tennessee Special Collections Library, Knoxville, TN

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Surname Saturday - French-Canadian Ancestors: Lefebvre

Surname: Lefebvre
Origin:
French
Definition: A derivation of the French occupational name Fevre, which described an iron-worker or smith. From the Old French "fevre" meaning craftsman. Similar French surnames include Fabre, Faivre, Faure, and Lefèvre. This is the French equivalent of the English surname SMITH. 

We are lucky in that we have a pretty well defined Lineage for our Lefebvre ancestry. I give much credit to the American-Canadian Genealogical Society for assisting me with this branch of our tree.

 - Joseph Vital Horace Lefebvre, born Nov. 1872 in Manchester, New Hampshire, married Marie Anne Turgeon in New Bedford, Massachusetts
 - Joseph Lefebvre (b. 1846 L'Acadie, Canada) & Julia Louise Lambert
 - Vital Lefebvre (b. 1809 L'Acadie, Canada) & Theotiste Henriette Roy
 - Toussaint Lefebvre m. Marie-Louise Lefebvre (daughter of Pierre Lefebvre & Amable Sorel) 1797 in La Prairie, Quebec
 - Nicolas Lefebvre m. M.Louise Brosseau in 1767 in La Prairie 
 - Pierre Lefebvre b. 11 Nov 1709 in Montreal m. Marguerite Moquin in 1734
 - Geoffroy Lefebvre b. Dec 1677 in Montreal m. Marie-Madeleine Michel-Michaud in June 1704
 - Jean-Baptiste Lefebvre from Saint-Germain (pictured right), Amiens, Picardie, France  m. Cunegonde Gervaise in Montreal 14 Jan 1676.  He was the son of Geoffroy Lefebvre & Jeanne Mile. 

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Wordless Wednesday - Gettysburg




The Soldiers National Cemetery at Gettysburg

Dedicated on November 19, 1863.

 It was during this dedication ceremony, which was attended by approximately 10,000 citizens, that President Abraham Lincoln delivered the "Gettysburg Address".

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Frederick Douglass's Historic Home

Frederick Douglass's Cedar Hill estate will represent Washington, D.C. in the U.S. mint's new "America the Beautiful" quarter program. The home, located at 1411 W St. SE in Anacostia, was his home from 1878 until his death in 1895.





Born circa 1818 in Talbot County, Maryland, he escaped slavery to become an abolitionist, editor, orator, and public servant.

In 1881, President Garfield appointed Frederick Douglass
Recorder of Deeds for the District of Columbia (1881-1886).

The coin is scheduled for release in 2017.


Saturday, November 14, 2009

Surname Saturday - Crouch

On this damp & chilly Surname Saturday I thought I would continue to highlight our Crouch line.
Crouch, from the Latin crux and Middle English crouch, Old English cruc ‘cross’ (a word that was replaced in Middle English by the word cross, from Old Norse kross), is applied as a topographic name for someone who lived by a cross.
It is English in origin with one of the earliest references being made to Thomas Crouch who is listed in the Subsidy Rolls of Essex (1329).
Some of the first Crouch settlers in the states were Richard, Nicholas, and Thomas Crouch who settled in Virginia in 1623.
Our ancestor was  Jesse Crouch (b.1760 in Stafford VA) who married Mary Sarah Nance.
Their daughter, Martha "Patsy" Crouch ( b. May 1797)  married William Isaac King on 2 Aug 1819 in Washington Co. TN. 
 

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

November 11th - Veterans Day Remembered


History of Veterans Day
World War I – known at the time as “The Great War” - officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919, in the Palace of Versailles outside the town of Versailles, France. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.”



Soldiers of the 353rd Infantry near a church at Stenay, Meuse in France, wait for the end of hostilities.  This photo was taken at 10:58 a.m., on November 11, 1918, two minutes before the armistice ending World War I went into effect

In November 1919, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: "To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations…"
The United States Congress officially recognized the end of World War I when it passed a concurrent resolution on June 4, 1926, with these words:
Whereas the 11th of November 1918, marked the cessation of the most destructive, sanguinary, and far reaching war in human annals and the resumption by the people of the United States of peaceful relations with other nations, which we hope may never again be severed, and
Whereas it is fitting that the recurring anniversary of this date should be commemorated with thanksgiving and prayer and exercises designed to perpetuate peace through good will and mutual understanding between nations; and
Whereas the legislatures of twenty-seven of our States have already declared November 11 to be a legal holiday: Therefore be it Resolved by the Senate (the House of Representatives concurring), that the President of the United States is requested to issue a proclamation calling upon the officials to display the flag of the United States on all Government buildings on November 11 and inviting the people of the United States to observe the day in schools and churches, or other suitable places, with appropriate ceremonies of friendly relations with all other peoples.
An Act approved on May 13, 1938, made the 11th of November in each year a legal holiday—a day to be dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be thereafter celebrated and known as "Armistice Day." Armistice Day was primarily a day set aside to honor veterans of World War I, but in 1954, after World War II had required the greatest mobilization of soldiers, sailors, Marines and airmen in the Nation’s history; after American forces had fought aggression in Korea, the 83rd Congress, at the urging of the veterans service organizations, amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting in its place the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation (Public Law 380) on June 1, 1954, November 11th became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.



President Eisenhower signing HR7786, changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day.

The observance of Veterans Day on November 11 not only preserves the historical significance of the date, but helps focus attention on the important purpose of Veterans Day: A celebration to honor America's veterans for their patriotism, love of country, and willingness to serve and sacrifice for the common good.

Source:  United States Dept of Veteran's Affairs

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - Old Fall Branch Baptist Cemetery


Located in Washington County, Tennessee, Old Fall Branch Baptist Cemetery (also known as Hopper Cemetery) is where our Crouch ancestors lie.




Jesse Crouch, b. 25 April 1760 in Stafford Co. VA ;  died 22 Dec 1841 in Washington Co., TN.

Buried with him is his wife, Mary Sarah (Nance) Crouch, b. 30 May 1770 in Mechlinburg, VA; died soon after her husband in Jan 1842.




Additional cemetery information can be found at:   http://www.tngenweb.org/washington/cemetery/cemOldFallBranch.htm
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Sunday, November 8, 2009

Saturday Night Genealogy Fun on Sunday Morning - Surname Distributions

This week's challenge on Randy Seaver's Saturday Night Genealogy Fun was to look into our surname distribution.  The site recommended for this adventure was http://www.publicprofiler.org/worldnames/Default.aspx

I did our two family surnames - Casteel & Kolbush/Kolbusz

The spelling Kolbush is only found in the United States.  It's origin, Kolbusz, is primarily seen in Poland

.













Next is the surname Casteel   - Here I included a breakdown of the surname distribution within the United States.















And finally - the most popular forenames:
Casteel:  James, Robert, John, David, William

Kolbush:  John, Carl, & Ralph
Kolbusz:  Krystyna, Jozef, Jan, Stanislaw, & Anna

Saturday, November 7, 2009

Surname Saturday - Cassingham / Casingham

On this beautiful fall Surname Saturday morning I will highlight our Cassingham line.

Albert Odian (Frank) Cassingham married Emma Warburton on 12 June 1875 in Providence, Rhode Island, and later moved to  Middleboro, Massachusetts where Frank was last recorded in 1892 as an employee at Star Mills.  We have not located a death or burial record for A.O. Frank Cassingham but believe it to be between 1892 & 1895 when Emma Warburton Cassingham is recorded as marrying John K. Smith.

Albert Odian Cassingham was born c. 1840 in Aldington, Ashford, Kent, England - the son of Odian Cassingham and Harriet Dean.
 
His father, Odian Cassingham, was born 23 Apr 1807 in Woodchurch, Kent, England - the son of John Casingham and Ann Barber.

John Casingham was baptised 7 Apr 1775  Presbyterian, Tenterton, Kent, England and was the son of John Casingham (born c. Apr 1737) and Alice Sampson.

Our line ends with the parents of John Casingham :  Thomas Casingham and Katherine Ordian married in Saint Mary Bredin (pictured on right), Canterbury, Kent, England, on Aug 3rd, 1731.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Follow Friday - Interesting Histories

Today is Follow Friday - On this lovely fall 'Follow Friday' morning I thought I'd share with you a blog I enjoy reading:
It has the most interesting historical tales from the past revealing old and sometimes odd beliefs, traditions, and facts.   Recent post titles include:

  • The Supernatural or Insanity? Dark Voices & Visitations from an Unseen World?

  • Quaker Traveler Ann Mifflin & her 'Cave of Skeletons' in 1802
  • Serpents in the Stomach: A 19th-Century Medical Nightmare or Figment of the Imagination?
  • Pennsylvania and the Civil War: Southern Sympathies
  • A UFO in 19th-Century Lancaster County, Pennsylvania?

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Finding Local Images

Historic Railroad Station Pictures of Jamesburg & Helmetta, New Jersey.

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Family-Images.Com contains a wide collection of images from all over the United States. This site strives "to help local historians and genealogists find local images from their hometowns and surrounding areas".

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Tombstone Tuesday - Casteel of Cobb Co. GA



William Casteel (1854-1929) & Lucie Casteel
Holly Springs Cemetery
Cobb County, Georgia
viewed on http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~gacobb/cemeteries/cemeteries.html

Saturday, October 31, 2009





Trick or Treat!!!




Happy Halloween!
from Tangled Trees

Thursday, October 29, 2009

The Glowing Jack-O'-Lantern

The jack-o'-lantern is easily the most recognized and used symbol of Halloween in modern America. The name originates from an old Irish folk tale telling of Stingy Jack and his encounter with the Devil of which there are various versions.
The term jack-o'-lantern first appeared in the mid-17th century and originally meant a night watchman or man with a lantern. It was also used to describe a strange light flickering over the marshes of Ireland. If approached, this light would advance and was always out of reach. This was also known as the will-o'-the-wisp or ignis fatuus.
The Irish Potato Famine of the mid-1800's prompted a massive immigration to the Americas. With the Irish, came their beliefs and traditions, including carving scary faces into turnips or potatoes and placing them into windows or near doors to frighten away Stingy Jack and other wandering evil spirits. The Irish discovered that turnips were not readily available in the Americas and instead turned to the larger pumpkin yielding our modern day jack-o'-lantern.


Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Historical Society of Pennsylvania



The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is the largest genealogy center in the Mid-Atlantic region, with records from every state east of the Mississippi River. Learn more about the expansive resources available here, including deeds, probate records, church records, ship passenger lists, and newspapers from 18th- and 19th-century Pennsylvania. This fall HSP will offer a series of genealogy workshops, to cater to both beginner and advanced family historians. The second workshop in the series is Genealogical Resources at HSP. This workshop is aimed at beginners, but there will also be useful tips for experienced researchers.

This workshop is FREE for members; $15 for nonmembers. Cost includes a one-day admission to HSP's research library.     Please visit   http://www.hsp.org/   for more information.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Information for Researchers at Washington, DC Natl Archives


Genealogy Workshops in Philadelphia


This fall, the Historical Society of Pennsylvania will offer a series of genealogy workshops, to cater to both beginner and advanced family historians. The first workshop will be held twice - at 6 p.m. Wednesday, October 28 and Noon Friday, October 30. This beginner workshop, which is free to members, will provide novice genealogists with the tools and knowledge they need to begin their family history search. Learn the proper way to conduct family interviews and review family records. Find out what resources are available and how best to use them, including public records, federal and local repositories, historical societies, ancestral DNA testing, and genealogical databases.

The workshop will be taught by Mr. Lee Arnold, a family historian and director of the library and collections at HSP. He received his masters in library and information science from the University of Wisconsin and his masters of liberal arts with a concentration in archives management from Temple University. Mr. Arnold is a member of the Academy of Certified Archivists and speaks regularly to groups on how to conduct research at the historical society. He has been researching his own family since 1980 and assisting genealogists at HSP since 1992.

This workshop is FREE for members; $15 for nonmembers. Cost includes a one-day admission to HSP's research library. To register online, click here. Or call 215-732-6200 ext. 214 for more information.